Where Have All the Birds Gone?: Nature in Crisis

by Rebecca E. Hirsch

Overview

Birds are disappearing.

Birds are nature's essential workers, and they are crucial members of ecosystems around the world. Hummingbirds pollinate our flowers; cardinals munch on beetles, grasshoppers, and other pests that damage crops; owls eat rodents that can spread disease; vultures clean up roadkill and other waste. Beyond their practical aspects, birds bring us joy through their songs and beautiful feathers.

But since 1970, nearly 30 percent of all birds in the United States and Canada have vanished. Scientists are scrambling to figure out what may be causing such a drastic decline. The answer: humans. City lights and tall glass skyscrapers disorient migrating birds. Domesticated cats prowling outdoors kill billions of birds each year. Pesticides contaminate fish and insects, which are then consumed by birds of prey. And climate change might disrupt and even wipe out feeding grounds for entire species.

Discover the vast impacts birds have on ecosystems, food systems, and human communities, and learn more about what scientists are doing to protect them.

“Never have my astonishment, wonder, and admiration been so stirred as when I have witnessed these birds drop from their course like meteors from heaven.” —Simon Pokagon, Potawatomi tribal leader

“In pushing other species to extinction, humanity is busy sawing off the limb on which it is perched.” — American biologist Paul R. Ehrlich

“There’s something everyone can do in their lives and in their communities to make it a better place for birds and people.” — Gary Langham, chief scientist, National Audubon Society

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728431772
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/01/2022
Pages:	120
Sales rank:	521,754
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	1030L (what's this?)
Age Range:	13 - 14 Years

About the Author

Rebecca E. Hirsch is an award- winning children's author with a PhD in plant biology. Her picture books include Plants Can't Sit Still and Night Creatures: Animals That Swoop, Crawl, and Creep while You Sleep. She lives with her husband and three children in State College, Pennsylvania. You can visit her online at rebeccahirsch.com.

Table of Contents

1 Three Billion to Zero 4

2 Disappearing Birds 12

3 A Clear Danger 22

4 Here, Kitty, Kitty 38

5 Hawk Watching 48

6 Food Chains and Bird Brains 58

7 Sea Change 72

8 Bringing Back Nature 82

9 How You Can Help 94

Author's Note 106

Glossary 107

Source Notes 110

Selected Bibliography 114

Further Information 115

Index 118

Editorial Reviews

"Scientist and naturalist Hirsch uses a clear and straightforward style to describe factors leading to the loss of three billion North American birds since 1970 and the meaning of such a catastrophic loss to the environment. . . . [E]asy to read and understand on many levels, including for those beginning to study environmental issues."—starred, School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 04/01/2022

Gr 7 Up—Scientist and naturalist Hirsch uses a clear and straightforward style to describe factors leading to the loss of three billion North American birds since 1970 and the meaning of such a catastrophic loss to the environment. Her sobering description of the wanton and widespread killing of the passenger pigeon, a North American bird numbering in the millions in the last century, provides a historical context of careless extinction. She contrasts this with the response to the death of hundreds of migrating songbirds that flew into skyscraper plate glass windows in 2020 as she describes steps taken to prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy. The chapters flow from topic to topic with a text that is easy to read and understand on many levels, including for those beginning to study environmental issues. Sidebars amplify the information in the narrative, and a wide range of color photographs, maps, and drawings is engaging and illustrates the diversity of individuals working on environmental issues. Not all doom and gloom, specific chapters describe how individuals can make a difference. The glossary and index make this useful for reports, while the bibliography and source notes provide jumping off points for further exploration. VERDICT Recommended as a first purchase for school and public library collections.—Frances E. Millhouser

School Library Journal

★ 2021-12-15
This pithy book more than fulfills its promise to introduce readers to the importance of birds, the state of avian research, and how they can contribute to birds’ well-being.

The text is both graceful and accessible. It begins with how and why passenger pigeons rapidly became extinct and is unsparing in detailing the deaths of thousands of migratory birds in Philadelphia in October 2020. These sobering accounts are balanced by success stories, such as the rebounding of dwindling raptor populations thanks to wildlife protection laws, a raptor sanctuary, and the ban on DDT. However, along with mentioning how critical birds are to the ecosystem, the text clearly states that 40% of bird species worldwide are shrinking in numbers. There is also a sobering chapter about climate change and its impact on seabirds. A full chapter devoted to the threat posed by domesticated cats uses gentle humor and shows compassion in its recommendations to cat owners. Up-to-date research—including interviews with scientists—highlights the urgency of sustainable farming, bird-friendly skyscrapers, and better placement of wind farms. A cutting-edge discovery by an entomologist, further researched by an urban ecologist, shows how selecting native plants over lawns supports caterpillars, the mainstay diet of most baby birds, turning backyards into habitats. The final chapter exhorts readers to follow the recommendations for reversing the trend toward bird extinctions. The excellent layout, informative sidebars, and attractive images are noteworthy.

Well-informed inspiration. (author’s note, glossary, source notes, bibliography, further information, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews